titan_uranus

6 - Oliver 5 - Petracca 4 - May 3 - Gawn 2 - Billings 1 - Chandler

I've now been able to watch the entire replay. I felt our defensive structure was just so good and was the catalyst for the win. They had plenty of reasonably good looks only to find May, Lever, Howes, TMac and Hore impassable. Their forward line is talented and is going to rip other sides apart at various points this year so holding them as well as we did, particularly in the middle two quarters, was excellent. We clearly moved the ball differently to 2022-23, too. The marks figure shows that, but there were a number of times players took marks, looked to reset, but then changed tack and played on instead. Most of the time it worked. And it felt like we kept out forwards deeper and didn't have them all pressing too high up the ground. I loved Billings' game. Yes, it wasn't full of contested ball. I don't think it needs to be. His gut running to create options and his (generally) good kicking is a missing part of our transition play. Brown did everything he would have been asked and on a better day would have kicked all 4 of his shots. We kicked goals at least twice due to him making up ground on his opponent to bring the ball to ground in a marking contest and his mobility was as good as it's ever been. As I've said a number of times though, the test with him is whether he can do it for multiple weeks/months in a row but we clearly have an option that many thought we didn't have with him.

Wasn't this because Harmes headbutted May (for which many on social media have said he is a chance of being suspended)? I haven't seen any clip but it's been Tweeted heaps.

Please no. Less is more.

I’m only a quarter into my replay but McVee has started this year so well. It’s hard to remember he’s still only a second year player. We are onto a massive winner with Judd. I like what I’ve seen from Howes so far too.

Thanks @Demonstone, I mucked this up. I missed a whole year! I think it’s 72 - 23 in each of 2021 and 2022, and 24 in 2023, then 2 so far this year.

Haven’t seen the full game so I’m surprised to see he had no CBAs. Is that just us making room for Pickett and Salem?

I forgot to mention the "best" bit. The late surge to the 45-point margin meant our percentage increased over Geelong's, and means we are in the 8. It keeps our streak alive (we've been in the top 8 every week since Round 1, 2021). No idea what the record is, but we're now at 49 (I think) H&A rounds in a row.

I wasn't able to get to the game today and have only had the chance to watch the first quarter replay. A few have said "it's only the Dogs". I'd be keen to see how they go next week vs Gold Coast before saying they're no good. However, there's a fair chance our Opening Round game got some cobwebs out and miles into the legs which benefited us. From what I've seen so far and interpreted off the stats sheet, the defensive transition was so much better - both as to intent to get the ball moving and in the personnel involved in these chains. More Windsor, Pickett, Billings, Salem, Rivers and McVee. Great to see Brown hit the scoreboard but more importantly look lively. Remember though that in 2022 and 2023 he started the season well, but his form dropped off as the season went on. We're a much better side with a fit and able Brown in it, so I love seeing him perform, but the test is whether he can do it for weeks on end.

I’ve read a lot of posts along the lines of “Sydney and GWS are the standard we need to match”. After the last two seasons I think we should all know that flags aren’t won in March. We need the four points far more than we need to look like the best side in it right now.

Or neither, as it was a practice match. Agree re Brown though. Petty looks like he needs more warming up rather than being thrust onto the G in 6 days’ time. If Brown (or JVR, if Brown helps him) plays well today, hopefully that eases the perceived pressure to rush Petty back in. Unfortunately the converse will be true.

Brown got a Brownlow vote in Round 1 against the Dogs last year.

Schache was unretainable. Good luck to Brown who has played very well in this corresponding game the past two years. Pickett and Woey for Spargo and Laurie is significant improvement. Immediately more balanced and quicker. The Marty Hore story is a ripper. Let’s hope he holds up. The benefit to keeping Salem in the mid means it’s got double the potential payoff. Finally, TMac for Tomlinson. I didn’t think Tomlinson was that good last week but equally didn’t think he was so bad as to be dropped. Particularly not for TMac, who hasn’t played defence at AFL level for years and hasn’t played good AFL football for 2 years either. I think, perhaps, the idea is that he follows Lobb into the ruck to relieve Gawn and allow us to leave JVR forward. If that’s it, I can see it, but I’m so wary of whether he can hold up in the backline and fearful of turnovers by foot.

Perhaps a bit like how Spargo ought to have been considered last week…

Bench is Salem, Billings, Laurie, TMac, Fullarton, Kolt, Woey and Brown. Five play (4 plus a sub).

Woewodin not listed as an “in” but listed on the extended bench. Edit: our media team is awful. The article says there are 7 ins but only names 6: “Melbourne’s squad for the match features the addition of seven Demons including Kysaiah Pickett, Marty Hore, Tom McDonald, Ben Brown, Tom Fullarton and Koltyn Tholstrup” Woey forgotten.

Can’t be sub, he’s not in the squad.

Schache and Tomlinson dropped, Spargo and Bowey injured. Pickett and Hore definite ins. B Brown, TMac, Kolt and Fullarton on bench. INS – Pickett, Hore, McDonald, B.Brown, Fullarton, Tholstrup OUTS – Bowey (inj.) Spargo (inj.), Schache (omitted), Tomlinson (omitted)

This is on the money I think. It’s evident on here. A large portion of the supporter base has set the bar at winning a flag or at least winning finals. Unless we’re playing at a level somewhere near 2021, that portion of the supporter base sits at a game with flat emotion - “yeah we won/are winning but so what”. And if we’re behind, the anxiety as you describe it kicks in (“another season wasted”, “I’m never going to see a flag in person”) and rather than get louder, that portion of the supporter base stews in their anxiety. This doesn’t apply to everyone, possibly only a small minority, and for those of us who are there as many weeks as possible screaming our lungs out then hearing comments like Roffey’s may hurt. But I don’t agree with, say, @dazzledavey36 who says she’s out of touch with reality. I think there is some validity to what she’s saying.

She’s right in saying that a loud crowd in our favour impacts how we play. And she’s right that Collingwood do it best. I’d argue that our crowds are louder than most give us credit for, but we can always do more.

I sure hope so (not that it’s a particularly nice description of Jefferson).

“Nowhere approaching LJ’s worth”? You don’t think two first round picks was ”approaching” it?

Well that wasn't really how I read "It could be argued that both Hogan and Jackson were busts as key forwards, in that we couldn't keep them at the club". It sounds like your true argument is "we failed to deal with Hogan and Jackson leaving". I would disagree with that assessment re: Hogan, as converting him into May was precisely what we needed to do at the end fo 2018 and it paid off for 2021. For Jackson, we got the picks but whether or not they work out for us is clearly TBD. And are you seriously calling JVR a "scrawny, hunch-backed 19 yr old barely noticeable at VFL level"?

Brisbane just lost Kiddy Coleman for the year, Carlton just lost Docherty for the year. Losing Bowey for 8 weeks is bad, but we're not the only club to exit Opening Round with a worse injury list. Yes and no. There are parts of that game where GWS completely dominated. However, Collingwood ended up with more inside 50s, more scoring shots and had a higher expected score than GWS. I know that sort of description when applied to us triggers a lot of people, but it's evidence to suggest Collingwood weren't as far off it as it might have looked. Given most think GWS is a flag contender, I'm reserving judgment on Collingwood until I see some more games from them. I'm not sure they'll lose like that much more for the rest of the year. Agree on the last point though - I'm reserving judgment to a large extent on us until I see us play in non-tropical conditions.

It's one of the biggest arguments on here. I think it informs most Demonlanders' disappointment. From the starting point of "our list is the best in the competition", losses and finals failures become much harder to stomach. But as you say, when you start thinking about it it becomes hard to justify the argument that we have the best list, or even close to it. We have, at best, an average selection of tall forwards - no matter how you rate Petty and JVR, each of Carlton, Brisbane, GWS, Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Gold Coast, the Dogs, Geelong and Fremantle have better options, even North and West Coast have one tall forward more talented/proven than either of ours. No matter how you rate Pickett, ANB and our other mid/small forwards, many of the aforementioned clubs have equal/better mid/small forwards. And no matter how highly you rate Gawn, Trac, Oliver and Viney, our midfield depth is not necessarily better than Carlton, Collingwood, Brisbane, GWS, the Dogs or Sydney, and in some respects (e.g. wingers, pace and skill) is worse than some/all of those sides. There's no doubt that we have as much proven elite talent on our list as any other side (Gawn, Trac, Oliver, Viney, May, Lever, Frtisch) but a list isn't just a club's top 8-10 A-graders, it's 44 players deep. If you take the two competing arguments - we have a great list and Goodwin's wasting it, or we have an average list and Goodwin's therefore done well to have us in the top 4 for three straight years with a flag - there are seriously substantial reasons to say the latter is the better argument.